This invention relates to a system for irrigating areas having a plurality of plants that require different amounts of water to reach optimum growth potential.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,232,159, 5755,383 and 6,138,405 disclose the use of edging for watering plants in a flowerbed separated from lawn. The tube portion of such edging has a plurality of slits or openings therein through which water is uniformly sprayed onto plants in the flowerbed. It was further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,159 that the slits or openings could be placed in a pattern in the tube to selectively spray certain plants. This pattern may be beneficial for one year but it is not unusual for a gardener to locate plants in different areas from one year to another year to change the decor of the landscape. Since the same plants are not located in a same place year after year different water patterns are required and as a result if the edging is not replaced some plants may receive too much water and other plants not enough. While it may be possible to close some of the slits or openings by plugs and cut new openings or slits in a desired location most often the section of existing edging is discarded and a replacement section of edging is purchased to meet a new watering pattern.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a system of irrigation using a tube formed integral within edging to communicate water to plants through a plurality of individual control valves that can be selectively adjusted to regulate the flow water to individual plants in a manner to promote optimum growth potential for each plant.
According to this invention each control valve is characterized by body having a first projection that extends into the tube associated with the edging in a plane substantially perpendicular to a web of an edging. In addition, each control valve is positioning on the tube in a desired location such that a first end cap retained on the body is below an apex of the tube. Each body is further defined by a stepped axial bore that extends into the first projection and a cross bore in the first projection through which water present in the tube is communicated into the stepped axial bore. The stepped axial bore is connected to an outlet port in the first end cap by a port that extends through a second projection on the body and a bore or passage in the first end cap. An external first annular rib that surrounds the port and receives a first radial groove on the first end cap to resiliently secure the first end cap with the body. The stepped axial bore has a first annular groove that receives a rib on a cylinder that extends from a base on a second end cap to resiliently hold the second end cap in the stepped bore and seal the stepped bore from the environment. The cylinder on the second end cap has an axial passage that separates a first arcuate axial segment from a second arcuate axial segment. The axial passage is connected to the stepped axial bore such that in a first position one of the first and second arcuate axial segments cover the port in the body to seal the stepped bore from the outlet port in the first end cap. The second end cap is rotatable from the closed or first position to an opened or second position where the axial passage in the cylinder is connected to the outlet port the first end cap by way of the bore or passage therein and correspondingly the stepped axial bore with water present therein is connected to the outlet port in the first end cap to allow water to be communicated to the outlet port and be directed to an individual plant as a function of the amount of water needed to achieve optimum growth.
An advantage of this invention resides in the ability to selectively adjust and direct the flow of a quantity of water to an individual plant to promote optimum growth.
A still further advantage of this invention resides in ability to selectively locate a valve on a tube of an edging by a self-piercing projection on a control valve.
A still further advantage of the present invention resides in the control valve having a first end cap located below an apex of a tube to protect the control valve from being damaged while retaining an ability to direct a flow water to an individual plant.